Device Authentication Information Installation System

1. An apparatus authentication information system having a management server, an authentication server, and a client device and used for including apparatus authentication information in said client device as information used by an apparatus authentication server to authenticate said client device, wherein said system further comprises: said management server provides source information including unique client device identifier used as a source for generating apparatus authentication information to said client device and provides said apparatus authentication information or said unique client device identifier to said apparatus authentication server for authenticating said client device; said client device stores source information and generates said apparatus authentication information using said source information and, at a client device authentication time, transmits said apparatus authentication information generated from said unique client device identifier to the authentication server; and said authentication server granting access to information at the management server if the authentication information or unique client device identifier received from the management server to the apparatus is consistent with the authentication information received from the client device.

2. The apparatus authentication information system according to claim 1 wherein: said management server provides said client device with a conversion value obtained as a result of a conversion process carried out by using a predetermined directional-function on said apparatus authentication information generated from said source information; said client device generates a conversion value by execution of a conversion process using said predetermined directional-function on said apparatus authentication information generated from said source information; and said client device compares said generated conversion value with said conversion value received from said management server to determine whether said generated conversion value is equal to said received conversion value.

3. The apparatus authentication information system according to claim 1 wherein: said client device provides said management server with a conversion value obtained as a result of a conversion process carried out by using a predetermined directional-function on said apparatus authentication information generated from said source information; said management server generates a conversion value by execution of a conversion process using said predetermined directional-function on said apparatus authentication information generated from said source information; and said management server compares said generated conversion value with said conversion value received from said client device to determine whether said generated conversion value is equal to said received conversion value.

4. A client device comprising: source-information acquisition means for acquiring source information including a unique client device identifier provided by a management server and used for generating apparatus authentication information; generation means for generating apparatus authentication information from said acquired source information; apparatus authentication information transmission means for transmitting said generated apparatus authentication information to an apparatus authentication server for granting access to information at the management server based on the authentication information; and receiving means for receiving information from the providing server if the authentication information transmitted by the client device is consistent with authentication information transmitted to the authentication server by the management server.

5. The client device according to claim 4 wherein: said source information is encrypted apparatus authentication information obtained as a result of a process to encrypt said apparatus authentication information; and said generation means generates said apparatus authentication information by decrypting said encrypted apparatus authentication information.

6. The client device according to claim 4 , further comprising storage means for encrypting apparatus authentication information generated by said generation means and storing a result of encrypting said apparatus authentication information, wherein said apparatus authentication information transmission means decrypts apparatus authentication information stored in said storage means and transmits a result of decrypting said apparatus authentication information.

7. The client device according to claim 6 , further comprising key generation means which is used for generating an encryption key to encrypt said apparatus authentication information to be stored into said storage means and decrypt apparatus authentication information stored in said storage means by using information peculiar to said client device when it is desired to utilize said encryption key.

8. The client device according to claim 7 , further comprising key deletion means for deleting said generated encryption key within a predetermined period after use of said encryption key.

9. The client device according to claim 4 , further comprising: conversion-value acquisition means for acquiring a conversion value obtained as a result of a conversion process carried out by using a predetermined one-directional function on said apparatus authentication information from said providing server; conversion-value computation means for computing a conversion value by execution of a conversion process using said predetermined one-directional function on said generated apparatus authentication information; and determination means for determining whether said acquired conversion value is equal to said computed conversion value.

10. The client device according to claim 9 , further comprising: conversion-value computation means for computing a conversion value by execution of a conversion process using another one-directional function on said generated apparatus authentication information; and conversion-value-providing means for providing said computed conversion value to said management server.

11. The client device according to claim 4 , further comprising: conversion-value computation means for computing a conversion value by execution of a conversion process using a predetermined one-directional function on said generated apparatus authentication information; and conversion-value-providing means for providing said computed conversion value to said management server.

12. The client device according to claim 4 , further comprising storage means for storing said acquired source information, wherein said apparatus authentication information transmission means generates apparatus authentication information from said stored source information and transmits said apparatus authentication information to said apparatus authentication server.

13. An apparatus authentication information processing method adopted in a client device implemented as a computer comprising source-information acquisition means, generation means and apparatus authentication information transmission means, said apparatus authentication information processing method comprising: acquiring, by the client device, source information including a unique client device identification from a providing server as a source used for generating apparatus authentication information; generating, by the client device and the providing server, apparatus authentication information from said unique client device identification; transmitting, by the client device, said generated apparatus authentication information; transmitting, by the providing server, said generated apparatus authentication information to an apparatus authentication server at an apparatus authentication time; and granting access to information at the management server if the authentication information or unique client device identifier received from the management server to the apparatus is consistent with the authentication information received from the client device.

14. The apparatus authentication information processing method according to claim 13 whereby: said source information is encrypted apparatus authentication information obtained as a result of a process to encrypt said apparatus authentication information; and generating further comprises decrypting said encrypted apparatus authentication information.

15. The apparatus authentication information processing method according to claim 13 , further comprising encrypting apparatus authentication information generated by said generation means and storing said encrypted apparatus authentication information into a memory also employed in said computer whereby transmitting further comprises decrypting and transmitting said encrypted apparatus authentication information stored in said memory.

16. The apparatus authentication information processing method according to claim 15 wherein said computer further comprises key generation means, said apparatus authentication information processing method further generating an encryption key using information peculiar to said client device.

17. The apparatus authentication information processing method according to claim 16 further comprising deleting said generated encryption key within a predetermined period right after use of said encryption key.

18. The apparatus authentication information processing method according to claim 13 wherein said computer further comprises conversion-value acquisition means, conversion-value computation means and determination means, said apparatus authentication information processing method further comprising: acquiring a conversion value using a predetermined one-directional function on said apparatus authentication information from said providing server; computing, using said conversion value computation means, a said predetermined one-directional function to said generated apparatus authentication information; and determining, using said determination means whether or not said acquired conversion value is equal to said computed conversion value.

19. The apparatus authentication information processing method according to claim 18 wherein said computer further comprises conversion-value computation means and conversion-value-providing means, said apparatus authentication information processing method further including: computing, using said conversion-value computation means, a conversion value by execution of a conversion process using another one-directional function on said generated apparatus authentication information; and providing, using said conversion-value-providing means, said computed conversion value to said management server.

20. The apparatus authentication information processing method according to claim 13 wherein said computer further comprises conversion-value computation means and conversion-value-providing means, said apparatus authentication information processing method further including: computing, using said conversion-value computation means, a conversion value by execution of a conversion process using a predetermined one-directional function on said generated apparatus authentication information; and providing, using said conversion-value-providing means, said computed conversion value to said management server.

21. The apparatus authentication information processing method according to claim 13 wherein said computer further comprises a memory for storing said acquired source information and, wherein transmitting further comprises generating apparatus authentication information using said stored source information and transmitting said generated apparatus authentication information to said apparatus authentication server.

22. A storage medium, which can be read by a computer and is used for storing an apparatus authentication information processing program to be executed by said computer to perform a method comprising: acquiring, by the client device, source information including a unique client device identification provided by a providing server and used for generating apparatus authentication information; generating, by the client device and the providing server, apparatus authentication information using said unique client device identification; transmitting by said providing server said generated apparatus authentication information to an apparatus authentication server at an apparatus authentication time; and granting access to information at the management server if the authentication information or unique client device identifier received from the management server to the apparatus is consistent with the authentication information received from the client device.

23. A providing server comprising: source-information-providing means for providing a client device with source information including unique client device identifier used as a source for generating apparatus authentication information; apparatus authentication information providing means for providing said apparatus authentication information or said source information to an apparatus authentication server for authenticating said client device; conversion-value acquisition means for acquiring a conversion value by using a predetermined one-directional function on apparatus authentication information generated based on said source information from said client device; conversion-value computation means for computing a conversion value using said one-directional function based on said apparatus authentication information; and determination means for determining whether said acquired conversion value is equal to said computed conversion value.

24. The providing server according to claim 23 , further comprising determination-result transmission means for transmitting a result produced by said determination means to a main organization.

25. A storage medium, which can be read by a computer and is used for storing an apparatus authentication information processing program to be executed by said computer to perform a method comprising: providing a client device with source information including unique identification information peculiar to the client device used as a source for generating apparatus authentication information; function of providing said apparatus authentication information or said source information to an apparatus authentication server for authenticating said client device; acquiring a conversion value obtained as a result of a conversion process carried out by using a predetermined one-directional function on apparatus authentication information generated on the basis of said source information from said client device; computing a conversion value by execution of a conversion process using said one-directional function on said apparatus authentication information; and producing a result of determination as to whether or not said acquired conversion value is equal to said computed conversion value.